Curcuma longa

Curcuma longa is better known as turmeric whose rhizomes are the source of the bright orange spice integral to South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines imparting a mustard-like, earthy, pungent aroma. It is a ginger relative with large, dramatic foliage that can be used to wrap fish for baking imparting a nice flavour. It also has a spectacular white, long-lasting, cone-shaped inflorescence. It is hardy in coastal BC in protected situations emerging once soils warm up in mid-June and flowering in late summer and fall. It is also easy to grow in pots that are kept above freezing in winter. Now you can grow your own!